The new financial year has begun, so is the payment amount of many government benefits, which will offer more support to the beneficiaries; however, there has been a rumour saying that the government is offering a cost-of-living payment for UK citizens.
Many people in the UK are curious as to whether the DWP will again support the citizens by paying cost-of-living benefits in light of the rising cost of living. However, the government or DWP has not announced any cost-of-living payment recently for households to fight inflation.
From April 2025, many DWP benefits are boosted by 17 percent, whereas the state pension is increased by 4.1%. People have received the Household Support fund from the local council for the period ending on 31 March 2025, but the current rumor is baseless.
| Benefit | Cost-of-living payment |
| Rumors says | DWP is offering a payout of up to £450 to people receiving DWP benefits or credits |
| Is it real? | A rumor that is not confirmed by the dWP |
| Possibility | Not now, as it depends on many factors |
| Do’s & Don’ts | Never share personal information and report it to the authority |
| Report Scam | https://www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud |
| Official website | https://www.gov.uk/ |
Cost of Living payment
The UK government offers a living payment to provide additional support to UK citizens when the cost of living is getting higher and people are facing financial stress to survive it. The DWP has provided the cost of living payment between 2022 and 2024, which was not taxable and offered to people who receive some credit or support from the DWP.
According to the rumors, the DWP will offer a cost-of-living payment of up to £250 to £450 to UK citizens struggling with basic expenses and already received some benefits or credits from the DWP. The rumors say the one-time payout will help the citizens, and it will be sent to their bank account or any other payment mode they use to receive their other benefits.
With the news on the third-party sites and social media, the citizens are anticipating this payment, however, they should know that the DWP has not confirmed any such cost-of-living payment recently, so it can be an effort of the scammers to attract people to get their personal information.
Chances of the cost-of-living payment
The possibility of announcing such a payment for UK citizens is high when inflation is high and citizens are struggling with essential needs and trying to survive the inflation. The 2022 to 2024 payment was issued to help the people who are already receiving support from the DWP, such as Child Tax Credit, Pension Credit, JSA, ESA, etc.
The beneficiaries typically don’t have to apply for such a one-time payment because the DWP automatically processes this payment based on the recorded information. However, to process such a payment, the UK government needs to look into various factors, such as the current economic conditions and political scenario.
The chances for the cost of living payment seem negligible, however, the citizens can expect such a benefit when the DWP reassesses the Autumn Budget in October 2025 or indexes the cost of living.
Precautionary measures
The DWP has not verified and confirmed the cost-of-living payments for 2025 at the moment; hence, if you received any messages, texts, or calls regarding it, keep the following precautionary measures in mind:
- You should never engage with any post or messages, or link regarding the cost-of-living 2025 payment, because it may lead to compromising your personal information.
- You should never fill out any form sent by a third party without confirming on the DWP official website, as generally these types of benefits are automatically processed for eligible people.
- Report the individual, website, or account to the DWP or platform authority will allow them to look into it and issue a warning to protect others.
Report Scam
When you come across any person impersonating a DWP officer or a website or account having any suspicious activity that may lead to fraudulent activities, you should report it to the DWP at https://www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud in your area, like Northern Ireland etc.
You can also reach the National Benefit Fraud hotline at 0800 854 440, or 0800 678 3722 (Welsh) during weekdays between 8 AM to 6 PM and report the account, individual, or organization. After you report the scam, the authority will investigate and take action against the individual or organization if the person or organization has committed or is committing benefit fraud.
The DWP cost-of-living payment for 2025 is not real until the officials make an official statement regarding it, so be vigilant and stay cautious of any fraudulent activities.